Laurissa stared at her e-mail in dismay. She hadn't meant her comment seriously, but someone had taken it the wrong way and got offended. "Damn," she said to herself, "if one person feels like this, what if the others on the list do as well?" The last thing she wanted to do was offend anyone. Sighing, Laurissa typed an apology, and hit the ‘send' button.*
Thamiris couldn't believe what she was reading. "What? She's got *nothing* to apologise for?" Tham was fuming. The list was meant to be an open place to discuss *anything*. "I mean, we're all rational adults, for fuck's sake. How *dare* some narrow minded idiot flame someone on this list!" Reigning in her anger, Tham took a deep breath. "ARES!" A flash of light behind her signalled the God's appearance. Tham spun around in her chair, ready to ask him if he'd seen Laurissa's message, when she stopped dead at the sight of Ares and his companion, both naked and dripping water on the carpet.
"You called?" Ares looked at Tham expectantly.
Tham ignored the God of War and looked at the woman with him. "Hi Claire."
"Tham." Claire blushed slightly. "We were, erm, testing out the new hot tub I just got installed," she explained.
"So I can see," replied Tham, pointedly staring at the widening puddle of water on her floor.
"Oh, sorry about that," grinned Ares, sounding not in the least apologetic. The God snapped his fingers, and instantly, the water was gone from the floor, and both he and Claire were dry and dressed. "Now, what's wrong?"
Tham waved towards her computer. "Have you seen this?"
The God and the mortal both shook their heads and walked over to where Tham was sitting. Leaning over a shoulder each, they proceeded to read the mail from Laurissa.
"But that's ridiculous," said Claire, when she'd finished reading.
"My feelings exactly," agreed Tham.
Both of the women looked at Ares. The God's dark eyes were flaring with fury. "How *dare* they. Who in Tartarus do they think they are? *Nobody* flames one of mine!"
Tham laid a restraining hand on Ares' arm. She could feel the God shaking with anger. "You should go and see Laurissa," she said softly.
Claire placed her hand over Tham's. "Definitely," she agreed. "And you tell her that we're all behind her 100%, not matter *what* this jerk's said to her."
Ares looked at the two of them for long seconds before he nodded. "I'll tell her," he said, before disappearing in a flash of light.
*
Sticking the spoon into the tub of Ben & Jerry's, Laurissa pulled out a lump of ice cream. She already received a couple of messages telling her that there was no reason to apologise for what she'd said, but she was still feeling a bit depressed. Sighing, she put the spoon in her mouth and started to lick the ice cream off it.
"You know, I can think of better things to put in your mouth and lick."
Nearly dropping the ice cream tub in shock, Laurissa turned quickly to see Ares leaning against the wall, a sultry smile on his face.
The God started to walk towards the couch. "I saw the message you sent out to the list. Everyone's right, you know. You have *nothing* to apologise for."
Laurissa nodded. "I know, and I'm angry that *they* felt they had the right to say those things to me."
Ares heard the pause. "But?" He prompted.
"But, part of me still feels that I might have offended my listsibs with what I said."
"You didn't," Ares reassured her. "In fact, I was told to tell you that everyone's right behind you."
Laurissa smiled brightly. "That's good to know."
Ares nodded. "So, now that you know you have everyone's support, you have no reason to be depressed any more."
"I wasn't depressed," said Laurissa quickly. "Well, okay, maybe a little," she amended at the disbelieving look the God gave her.
"I don't like depression," Ares told her, as he walked around to the front of the couch. "I don't like any of mine to be depressed. In fact," he continued, taking the ice cream tub out of Laurissa's hands and placing it on the table next to her, "whenever one of mine *is* depressed, I take it upon myself to cheer them up again."
Laurissa raised one of her eyebrows. "Oh, really?"
Ares took her hands, and pulled her off the couch, towards him. "Yes really."
Ares' mouth descended onto Laurissa's, teasing open her lips with his tongue. She pulled at the God's leather top, freeing it from his belt, and began to take it off him.
Before she was finished, Ares took Laurissa's arms and placed them above her, allowing him to pull her shirt off. Dropping the shirt on the floor, Ares picked Laurissa up, guiding legs around his waist. Walking across the room, he secured Laurissa between the wall and his body, leaving his hands free to help her pull off his shirt.
Laurissa shuddered as the cold wall made contact with her skin, but she made no move to escape.
Backing away from the wall, Ares wrapped his arms around her, as he moved them to the bedroom in a flash of light, leaving their clothes to fall where they had been standing.
Placing Laurissa on the bed, Ares began kissing her. She felt his tongue in her mouth, and whimpered at the sudden emptiness she felt when he moved his lips. Slowly the God began to kiss her neck, working his way down to her breasts, and then her stomach. Laurissa's breathing became heavier as she felt Ares gently licking her thighs, his beard tickling her sensitised skin. She shivered as he blew on the area of her skin that he had just licked, sending cold chills up her spine. Laurissa felt his strong hands on her thighs, carefully pushing them further apart, and gasped suddenly as his tongue invaded her. The nerve endings inside her felt as though they were exploding as Ares' tongue slowly brushed along them. In long, delicate strokes Ares touched every part of Laurissa. She cried out with pleasure when she felt Ares' tongue swirl around her clit. He took the bud gently between his teeth and flicked it with the end of his tongue. Ares worked Laurissa's clit between his teeth, as her breath breathing became quicker and quicker until her orgasm crashed down on her. Reaching down, Laurissa grabbed Ares' head and pulled him up, until they were face to face. She pulled the God to her and kissed him with all the passion she had in her. She could taste herself on his lips, and it made her want more of him. With their lips still together, Laurissa wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him towards her. She felt his hardness against her and quietly groaned as he slipped into her. Catching Ares' bottom lip between her teeth Laurissa rubbed her tongue along it. She heard him chuckle slightly, before he pulled away and began to kiss her neck. Stretching her arms out, Laurissa grabbed handfuls of the bedclothes beneath her. She could feel Ares inside her, filling her completely. As she closed her eyes, she could feel him begin to move in and out of her. She raised her hips to meet his thrusts. Suddenly, she was aware of Ares' hands around her wrists. The God placed her arms above her, and, using one hand, pinned
them to the bed. She felt his other hand on her face, stroking her cheek. Opening her lips, she caught his thumb with her teeth and sucked it. He pulled his finger, glistening with Laurissa's saliva, out of her mouth. He rubbed the wetness onto her nipple, and blew on it, the same as he had done with her thigh. Her nipple hardened with the cold air, and Ares brought his mouth down and began to kiss her the hardened flesh. Laurissa became aware of Ares' thrusts getting quicker and harder. Freeing her hands from his grip, Laurissa pulled Ares' lips back to hers. She felt Ares give one final thrust before he emptied his
climax into her. Lying on the bed, with his arms around her, Laurissa entwined her legs with Ares'."There," the God whispered in her ear, "now don't you feel better?"
Laurissa just purred.
*
A couple of hours later, Laurissa slipped out of the bed, smiling as Ares mumbled and reached for her. Not wanting to disturb the God, Laurissa placed a pillow next to him, which Ares promptly grabbed and snuggled up to, before falling back into a deep sleep.
Padding quietly out of the bedroom, Laurissa sat at her computer and booted it up. Downloading her e-mail, she smiled at the messages people had sent her, telling her that she had no reason to apologise. Unable to wipe the smile off her face, Laurissa typed up a thank you message and sent it off to the list.
*
"Looks like he did what he set out to do," commented Claire, reading Laurissa's e-mail.
"Good," nodded Tham. "People who think like that have no right to be on this list. And everyone agrees with you."
"The question now," said Tham, looking at the young woman next to her, "is just how are you going to get home?"
Claire smiled and started searching through the pockets of the jeans she was wearing. Pulling out a card wallet, she handed it to Tham.
Tham opened it, and pulled out a credit card. "*Olympian* Express?"
Claire grinned. "Never leave home without it." She laughed as a gleeful expression crossed her face.
"What?" Tham asked.
"Well, I was just thinking that there's no credit limit on this. And it would serve him right for dumping me naked in your front room." Claire looked at Tham. "Tham, how would you like to go on a *little* shopping trip?"
Tham looked at the grin on Claire's face for a second, before she matched it with one of her own. Turning off her computer, she grabbed her jacket. "What are we waiting for?"
"Absolutely nothing," replied Claire, as the two women headed out to put a major dent in the bank balance of the God of War.
